Mashable

Frances Victoria Schenk was born in East Orange, New Jersey in 1908, and was dancing in New York speakeasies by the age of 16.

She was spotted by Australian entrepreneur Beaumont Alexander, who whisked her off to London, dyed her hair platinum blonde, and changed her name to Frances Day.

With Alexander’s promotion, Day quickly became one of the most talked-about cabaret acts in the city, her stunning looks and fearlessly bawdy performances driving audiences wild.

At 19, she married Alexander, who was nearly twice her age. Within three years they were separated. Day would never remarry, but would go on to notch a spectacular record of conquests, both male and female, from the future King Edward VIII and his brother Prince George to the future prime minister, Anthony Eden.

Even First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt confessed in a letter to Day after meeting her that “I find I am quite unable to resist your extraordinary and tempestuous magnetism.”

1926

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1926

Image: Sasha/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

The word 'star' in the theatrical sense might have been invented to describe her.

Sir Frederick Ashton

1926

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1926

Image: Sasha/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

c. 1932

Day speaks to her race horse in a scene from "The Pride Of Epsom."

Image: General Photographic Agency/Getty Images

Day continued to rise in fame, starring in highly successful stage acts including JillDarling, Floodlight and Black Vanities, as well as films including The Girl from Maxim’s and Oh, Daddy!

As her irresistible performances continued to sell tickets, her behavior became increasingly erratic. She would often show up to performances at the last second, and perform overlong encores against the management’s wishes.

Her popularity tumbled after the end of World War II, and though she continued to appear in film, television and stage roles, she had difficulty finding an audience.

1933

Day strikes a pose in "The Girl From Maxim's."

Image: Henry Guttmann/Getty Images

c. 1935

Day in an advertisement for Booth's Gin.

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c. 1935

Image: Hulton Archive/Getty Images

She was devastatingly attractive, and I discovered later on, when I was in a show with her, that the men in the audience simply couldn't take their eyes off her.

Sir John Mills

1935

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1935

Day at Prince's Cabaret.

Image: Sasha/Getty Images

1935

Image: Sasha/Getty Images

1935

Image: Sasha/Getty Images

In 1965, she disappeared completely from public life, changing her name to Samta Young Johnson and denying that she was the famous Frances Day of years past.

The former star and sex symbol died in 1984 at the age of 75.

Howard McBrien, an employee in an office beneath Johnson’s apartment, who knew her only as the friendly lady who lived upstairs, was astonished to learn that she had left her house and entire £162,000 estate to him in her will.